We all have to do what we have to do. The emphasis on the second instance of have, was to signify the concept of doing something that actually feels like you're working on it.
For example, you have to clean your house or flat, in order to keep things tidy, and for your own health ( and sanity). You have to go to work ( unless you're very wealthy and/or have enough residual income to live on), in order to survive and thrive.
But there are things that on the face of it, can seem to others to be much more difficult to do, which you may be able to do, without thinking too much about it. That's what it means to be 'in your element'.
Ken Robinson, discusses this further :-
Finding Your Creative Element Takes Tenacity and Patience
Not all of us are born knowing exactly what it is that we want to do. For instance, for years on end whilst at college, I carried on being involved at some level, in creative pursuits such as writing and music. This carried on right the way through to when I graduated at university ( with a Bsc Hons in Industrial Business Systems) and in fact bought more studio equipment a few months before I had to sit my final exams. So there was a weird sense of jekyll and hyde going on with regards to my future career choices, that were a necessity in order to survive and move forward in life.
At one point I was working nearly 16 hours in a day, just so I could do both my regular work (which for years was in I.T.), and I could 'make good' on the work where I was in my element. That's not cowardice, but pragmatism, and it's what a lot of people go through when they take a path that was once considered 'a bit offbeat', for want of an alternate phrase.
Nowadays, a whole generation has a very equal shot at being a creative person for a living. This has been greatly facilitated by the increased speed of internet access and the ease with which you can pursue your muse. Smartphones, tablets and laptops, are part of the fray that was once the sole preserve of the expensive top-end hardware and software ownership 'club', which in itself was exclusive to the pro-end market incumbents. Especially industries like music and film making.
Both music and film are all about subjectivity. What each of these mean to you, is entirely about your own interpretation, based on other experiences in your life prior or even during the first time you encounter them.
Music in particular, is something where mood and emotions can have an anchoring or residual effect even years down the line :-
The psychology of music: why mood and memory matter
Coincidentally, I was discussing this with a friend yesterday. In effect, exercising to music, cleaning the house or car to music and even working to music have a considerable mood-enhancing effect. Not only does it spur you onwards, but it compels you to finish the task at hand, too.
With regards driving, there have been various studies conducted as to what sort of music is optimal for driving. If you have a cursory peruse on the internet, you'll find access to various papers and reports on this, of which some are moving into the territory of interactive music where the speed and style of driving can affect the composition you're listening to. Volkswagen, for example, have been working on their 'play the road' app, and you can check out the results via the link.
Mood, feeling, and emotion are also words I think about when discussing colour. In the last few years, I've made more trips to paint stores than ever before as I've been redecorating. As a result, I've stood there many a time, hearing others espousing things like 'It needs to be more mustard-y...no, less than that, more ice creamy'. At those times, I wish I'd had something like this to help me out :-
Is It 'Crimson' or 'Sangria' ? Consult The Colour Thesaurus
What a great way to get around colour charts and tones. Just print it out, and keep it on a wall or in a drawer.
Ultimately, whatever we do to make a living involves some level of creative thinking. That's when the metaphorical rulebooks we've ingested over the years in the name of education and life experiences, start to mutate into something completely different.
My way of seeing it is that creativity is a summation of all your moods, experiences and sensations to date, which then alchemically work their magic on all the more linear and logical methodologies you have also amassed in the same time period. The result is a dish or smorgasboard of ideas, which can be conceptualised and taken to fruition.
It's all food for thought. And I'm all for it.
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